Pepper: Lamborghini SC63 Reserve Duty a “Good First Step”

Photo: Iron Lynx

Jordan Pepper believes his reserve driver role for Lamborghini Iron Lynx at the 24 Hours of Le Mans is a “good first step” towards a potential full-time position with the Hypercar squad in the future.

The South African Lamborghini factory driver is listed in both the Nos. 19 and 63 Lamborghini SC63s for Sunday’s Le Mans test day, in what will mark his first experience of Circuit de la Sarthe and an official capacity in a prototype.

“Obviously I’ve been involved in the program for a little while and I expressed my interest a long time ago that I wanted to be involved,” Pepper told Sportscar365.

“It kind of came up as a last-minute decision in a sense where it happened in the last couple of weeks.

“Then it was just about getting everything in place. I had to do all of the official stuff, the official simulator prep and all of that.”

While admitting the opportunity came up at the last minute, Pepper did manage to get behind the wheel of the Ligier-chassied LMDh car for a handful of laps in a rollout at Magny-Cours last month.

“I luckily enough got a chance to at least drive the car at a shakedown,” he said. “I did a couple of laps as it was more just a familiarization run to get up to speed in that sense.

“It was very good to get my first experience in the car. It’s very different from GT for sure.

“But luckily enough there’s some really nice group of drivers, especially in Squadra Corse, that I’m also close with, like Andrea [Caldarelli], who I could reach upon to just get some advise and experience before I jumped in.

“It wasn’t like a total blind experience. It went well.

“Here, being the reserve driver, we’ll see what happens. I need to drive, by regulation, a minimum of ten laps on Sunday, which I will complete and maybe do a couple more, and then we see.

“It’s a good first step into the door for sure with the program.”

Pepper is hopeful that he could be considered for a race seat in the program next year, considering the fact of a pending regulation change that will mandate each Hypercar manufacturer to field at least two cars for the full FIA World Endurance Championship season.

The Italian outfit currently runs the No. 63 Lamborghini for Mirko Bortolotti, Daniil Kvyat and Edoardo Mortata full-time in the WEC, with its IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup entry of Caldarelli, Matteo Cairoli and Romain Grosjean joining for Le Mans in the manufacturer’s first two-car top class effort.

“Next year really hasn’t been spoken about,” said Pepper. “The major task is making sure I was able to drive here, at least, and be the reserve here and tick all of those boxes.

“For sure it’s unspoken that once I’ve at least driven in the test and been a part of it, done all the simulator stuff, that for sure it allows the opportunity to drive next year should the opportunity come up.

“The regulation changes with mandatory two cars that could be in place could open up an opportunity. For me it’s just about being prepared, being ready and being available should that opportunity come.

“I’m definitely motivated to try to step up to Hypercar with a full season program if that opportunity presents itself. But I don’t think it’s up to me entirely, obviously.

“It’s up to a lot of people and a lot of factors. But from my side, all I can do is be prepared, be ready and do the best job possible every time I’m in the car.”

John Dagys

John Dagys is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Sportscar365. Dagys spent eight years as a motorsports correspondent for FOXSports.com and SPEED Channel and has contributed to numerous other motorsports publications worldwide. Contact John